Sears Modern Homes

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Reproduced from a rare edition, this book features 112 designs for homes of "comfort and refinement," with external views, floor plans, and other details. 400 illustrations.

History of Sears Kit Homes with info on how to find and identify these old kit homes. Alson includes photos, graphics, diagrams and oral histories from workers at the Sears Mill and people who built their own Sears Home. Also history on Richard W. Sears and Alvah Roebuck; history on Sears and Roebuck, Co.

From 1908 to 1940, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold nearly seventy-five thousand homes through its mail-order Modern Homes program. Families across the nation set about assembling the kits, using the thick instruction manual to puzzle out how twelve thousand pieces of house might fit together. The resulting dwellings were as durable as they were enchanting, swiftly becoming icons of the American landscape. Follow leading expert Rosemary Thornton through a lavishly illustrated history of the homes many Illinoisans dont know they are living in. Recognize your own front porch on a page in the Neo-Tudor section of the style gallery and tell your plumber hes helping to preserve a Barrington.

Sixty eight Sears-designed homes display handsome exterior and interior views — with vestibules, breakfast alcoves, massive chimneys, unusual roof lines, and other attractive features. Over 200 black-and-white illustrations.

It was the American Dream by Mail Order --Smithsonian Americans have ordered from Sears, Roebuck just about everything they have needed for their homes for 100 years--but from 1908 to 1940, some 100,000 people also purchased their houses from this mail-order wizard. Sears ready-to-assemble houses were ordered by mail and shipped by rail wherever a boxcar or two could pull in to unload the meticulously precut lumber and all the materials needed to build an exceptionally sturdy and well-designed house. From Philadelphia, Pa., to Coldwater, Kans., and Cowley, Wyo., Sears put its guarantee on quality bungalows, colonials and Cape Cods, all with the latest modern conveniences--such as indoor plumbing. Houses by Mail tells the story of these precut houses and provides for the first time an incomparable guide to identifying Sears houses across the country. Arranged for easy identification in 15 sections by roof type, the book features nearly 450 house models with more than 800 illustrations, including drawings of the houses and floor plans. Because the Sears houses were built to last, thousands remain today to be discovered and restored. Houses by Mail shows how to return them to their original charm while it documents a highly successful business enterprise that embodied the spirit and domestic design of its time. "After decades of obscurity, Sears houses have become chic." --Wall Street Journal "These were . spacious, solidly built homes." --Parade "Don't be surprised if your own cozy bungalow turns up [in the book]."--Philadelphia Inquirer "A nostalgic and informative look at the tastes of Americans in the years before World War II."--Publishers Weekly "The bible to researchers of Sears' ready-cut homes."--Saturday Evening Post

"Facsimile reproduction of the Sears modern home catalog"--Introd.

Designs for 60 homes, from a simple four-room cottage with a front porch to a comfortable two-story home with four bedrooms, a reception hall, and pantry. Shown in landscaped exteriors, floor plans, and overhead cutaway views. With detailed commentaries on each design.